Covers
the county's development from pre-Colombian Indians, early exploration
and settlement to county formation and modern times.

Of special
interest to regional historians is the Civil War section, which includes
a map and detailed description of the major Union fort that was built
on the courthouse square in the closing months of the war.

Contains
the story of the historic printing of the first "Stars and Stripes"
newspaper in Bloomfield on November 9, 1861.

Contains
many family names that would be of special interest to genealogists
(We regret that we are unable to respond to inquiries regarding whether
certain names appear in the book.)

Shortly after moving
to Bloomfield, Missouri, in June 1965 I heard about the old "Civil
War Fort" on the hilltop west of town. I walked and mapped its still
visible perimeter and realized that Stoddard County had played an important
role in early area history because of its location on Crowley's Ridge,
which had provided a natural highway through the great swamps.

With no definitive long
term objective in mind, I began researching the history of Stoddard County.
I began by interviewing Albert Phelan, the ninety year old grandson of
a confederate officer who had once commanded the rebel garrison at Bloomfield.

Before the advent of
the age of railroads most towns of historic import were located near navigable
streams. Landlocked communities had to depend on horse drawn wagons to
market their produce and supply their import needs: a slow and laborious
journey over roads that were often impassable.

The outbreak of the Civil
War made Bloomfield a very strategic location because it commanded the
only practical avenue of approach by the confederacy to the "Little
Dixie" area in the Missouri River valley. General Grant himself visited
Bloomfield and recommended that a major fort be constructed there.

In the latter months
of the Civil War, this fort was constructed on the ruins of Bloomfield's
courthouse square. I had stumbled onto a piece of lost history!
Only "out post K" on the hill west of town had survived in local
memory.

In 1970 I wrote, "History
of Stoddard County." All the profits from two subsequent printings
by the Stoddard County Historical Society went to the society in which
I served as secretary for several years. My "little pamphlet"
turned out to be a best seller! It can be found in such unlikely
places as the New York City Public Library and many other metro libraries
across the U.S.

Long
out of print, there has been continuous demand for another printing of
the "History of Stoddard County." In addition to local interest,
calls and letters have continued to come in from other states requesting
a copy.

The one most certain
thing in this life is that everything changes in time. History is
the story of mankind's march through that time. As an individual we are
what our memory consists of. As a town, a county, a nation, we are the
collective memory of all. Without our past we would not know who or what
we are or where we came from.

In this third printing
I decided against any revisions or additions and elected to publish it
in its original form except for the addition of a table of contents.